He Swears He Loves Me
by Lady-Eclypse
Summary: Anyway, back to what I was saying before, that song….augh, it isn’t enough that I hear it every day in the office that I share with Draco, but I also know that it’s him when he calls because I hear “Hey girl you know you drive me crazy, wrong world put yo


**He Swears He Loves Me**

Hermione's P.O.V.

Ever since the war ended Draco Malfoy and I didn't have a reason to hate each other anymore, of course Ron and Harry will always have a problem with him, I have been able to put aside my differences with him and we've become quite close friends. In fact, I consider him my closest friend of all. I tell him everything and he tells me everything…well, almost everything, he didn't tell me about the incident with India, and I try not to tell him that Ron has a short fuse, and likes to beat the living crap out of me.

That night was just like any other Friday night, we sat at the same booth in the Leaky Cauldron as we always did, ate the same dinner as we always did, and we talked, laughed, and enjoyed each other's company, just as we always did.

Everything was fine, until Ron came in with his_ 'Posse'_ of Quidditch teammates minus Harry, because Ginny had him on a leash shorter than their dog's. "Oy, Hermione, what the hell are you doing here with that bloody blonde ferret?" Ron shouted at me. He was drunk, as was the usual case when these incidents happened.

"We're having our usual Friday night dinner Ron. The same thing I usually do on Friday night while you have your _'boys night out'_ with the team," I said calmly, this always drives him insane, but it's the only way for me to keep my cool, and make sure that the doesn't hit me in front of the whole world. "And, his name is Draco not Ferret." I add at the end, because I know how much Draco hates it when Ron calls him that.

"Same bloody difference. Why don't you come on home with me, so we can have a little _alone_ time," Ron suggested insinuating that he was going to try to get into my pants. Ha, like I would ever let that happen before marriage.

"No Ronald, I'm in the middle of my night out. Go home with your friends, they are waiting for you. Besides, this is rather important, it's about my new case," I sigh pointing the team out, and gently push him in their direction.

"We are going to have a heart to heart about this when you get home tonight!" Ron warned, trying to sound as if nothing was bothering him, but I knew I was going to get it when I arrived home. Like usual.

_**Hey girl you know you drive me crazy,**_

**_One look puts the Rhythm in my hands,_**

_**Still I'll never understand why you hang around,**_

_**I see what's going down.**_

Draco's P.O.V.

I don't think I'll ever understand why that girl takes so much crap from him. All he does is belittle her and beat her. My father used to do the same thing to my mother, and ultimately, he's what killed my mother, and that's what got him killed as well. I'm not afraid to say that I was the one to kill him either. I don't know how many times I've told Hermione that no one deserves to be treated as he treats her. She is so bloody smart that she should know better, but she doesn't.

When Ron finally left the Leaky Cauldron that night Hermione let out a small sigh, I wasn't sure if it was from relief, or dread for what was yet to come that night. That was when I decide that I would follow her and find out what the hell was going on. I needed to see for myself that hellish things he put her through every Friday night. I needed to find out what was so bloody important to her, and what kept her from leaving that despicable pig.

The end of our night came, and that was when I decided to make my move. "Hey, why don't I walk you home tonight? I would hate to have something happen to you on your way home when you don't have a car tonight." I offered.

"It's kind of out of the way for you Draco, and I perfectly capable of fending for myself thank you very much," She teased as she accepted my arm.

All I could think of when she said this was, 'If you're so bent on taking care of yourself then why don't you leave him? Why don't you save you life?' of course, I could never actually say that to her. I respected Hermione's decisions enough, but if I saw anything that I suspected was going on tonight, I wasn't going to stand around and do nothing.

"Draco, is something bothering you that you haven't told me about yet?" She asked as we walked through the streets of London in the brisk autumn night.

"No, nothing." I found myself lying to her. I'd only lied to her about one thing ever during the course of our friendship, and that was India Carlyle, and for good reason too. I couldn't be dating my best friend's worst enemy and have her know about it, that would be bloody suicide. Besides, that was nearly three years ago now. And Hermione had found out about it anyway.

"Alright then, keep your secrets, but I will find out what it is. You know that as well as I do," she teased rather seductively. For her praised and flaunted chastity she knew how to tease, flirt, be seductive, and then pretend as if she'd done nothing at all.

"You will find out soon enough I'm sure," I try to play along with our usual 'I know you're hiding something from me' game as enthusiastically as possible, but my heart is filled with dread and sorrow as we approach her door step. "You would tell me if anything happened to you…I mean if he hit you wouldn't you?" I remember hearing myself ask that question, but I don't actually remember the thoughts of doubt running through my mind.

"Good night Draco, I will see you in the morning," she brushes my question off as if I had never mentioned it, and walks into her house, shutting the door in my face.

_**Cover up with make up in the mirror,**_

_**Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again,**_

**_You cry alone and then he swears he loves you,_**

I quickly rushed around to the side window of their house, when I heard the resounding sound of a slap, and Hermione's crying. I wanted to rush in there and kill that red headed M.F.er but I knew I just had to bide my time before I could talk Hermione out of this. If I barged in now, she would just go back to him later. So, I sat and watched. I watched as she took the beating like a grain of salt in a deep bleeding wound. Actually it was more like her taking it with the whole damned salt shaker poured in a gaping wound and never saying a bloody word.

Hermione's P.O.V. 

Everything in my life was perfect once again…until I woke up with that same song ringing in my ears again. Draco Malfoy made it a habit to make that song _his_ ring tone on my phone. The song is called Face Down, and it drives me almost as crazy as Draco does. The man just doesn't know when to quit, and that's what makes me want him in a way that friends shouldn't want each other.

Anyway, back to what I was saying before, that song….augh, it isn't enough that I hear it every day in the office that I share with Draco, but I also know that it's him when he calls because I hear "Hey girl you know you drive me crazy, one look puts the rhythm in my hands, Still I'll never understand why you hang around, I see what's going down…" and then I reluctantly answer the phone because I can't stand to listen to the ringing any longer with a very groggy and muffled: "Hello…?"

"Hey how are you?" I hear normally happy voice of my main partner in crime, only this morning it wasn't nearly as happy and cheerful, in fact; it sounded as if he'd been crying. "I heard you and the boyfriend got into another row,"

"The boyfriend has a name, and it happens to be Ronald, and whomever your informant is clearly got their couples mixed up," I growled rolling over and blinking my eyes to get them to refocus on the clock next to my bed.

"Well, that maybe, but weather or not you have a black eye when you come in will tell me what really happened last night when you came home from the bar, and the friendly dinner we had last night," He was mocking me now, because he knew that Ron had over reacted like usual and had yet again, taken his drunken rage out on me. He was right, I did have the black eye to tell the story, what he didn't know was I also had the broken nose and fractured cheek to prove his theory right as well. No concealment charm was going to cover the train wreck on my face.

Draco P.O.V.

Have I mentioned lately how much that woman drives me bloody mad? Hermione Granger, the most unlikely best friend in the world for me to have won't admit to anyone not ever herself, that her _Loving Ronald_ beats the shit out of her for no damned reason at all. Not that she should stick around if he had a reason. She tries to hide it, but _I_ saw what happened to her last night, everyone in the pub saw what happened, all because Weasley is jealous, and controlling.

And the most infuriating this is that I find myself making fun of her every time she comes in with a new wound, so that _I_ will not be responsible for the _Infamous Weasel-Bee's_ mysterious and quite untimely death. I'm already under enough scrutiny as it is; I don't need a rumor of murder circling over my head.

****Don't get me wrong, I love Hermione, with all my heart and soul, and I would most definitely love to steal her away from Ronald Weasley, but I am her friend first, and if she chooses so, then I will be her lover…Now how do I get someone just as stubborn as me, if not more, to see things the way I do?

I sit at my desk pondering all these things when she walks into the office that we share, blaring the only song I can think of that can possibly come close to getting my message across to her. I even made it _my _signature ring tone on her phone. She has fresh bruises, looks like from here, a black eye and a swollen cheek. But I know as well as anyone that it could be a million other things as well, she's damned lucky the bastard hasn't killed her yet.

_**Do you feel like a man when you push her around? **_

_**Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?**_

_**Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world gonna end.**_

_**As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.**_

"Morning," I said as I glance at her over my Daily Prophet and my cup of coffee.

"Good morning my ass," she mutters, half glaring at me, ready to break down and cry; as she sits down at her desk and flips through all the files that plaster the top of her desk.

"Hermione…" I stand and approach her, as the tears begin to fall from her eyes.

"You were right okay? He broke my nose, and gave me a black eye and fractured my cheek, are you happy now?" She screams at me.

"No, I'm not happy! I hate seeing you like this, I wish that you would just leave him, and let me show you how a man should really treat you!" I blurted out with out even thinking of how this would effect either of us.

Hermione P.O.V.

I was shocked; I couldn't believe what he had just said to me! Was this a dream? Was what he was saying to me real? I mean, I had always known that our relationship was a very close, very loving friendship, but could it be possible that we were both secretly in love with one another, and if that was possible, would it work out between us?

"Look, I'm sorry…but no woman should have to go through what I see you go through, and all because you have yourself convinced that you love someone that treats the dog better than he treats you! Ron doesn't love you; he wants to control you, to have you do what he tells you to do, and to suffer the consequences if you don't! And the fact that its alcohol induced doesn't give him a valid excuse!" Draco explained to me, was he right?

But Ron, like on all the occasions before, had been drunk, and this morning had no recollection of what he had done. He didn't even want to believe that he was capable of hitting me. And that was what everyone else saw…even Harry. But Draco saw through it all. Maybe he didn't see the sugar coated Ron because he wasn't his friend, but whatever the reason, he knew that Ron wasn't perfect like everyone seemed to think.

I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to do, I couldn't think, I couldn't speak. All I could do was cry. I knew he was right, I finally got the message that he was trying to send to me, the whole reason for the song. I collapsed into his arms, sobbing my heart out as I had wished to do for so long before. And that was when Ron came in the room with a bouquet of roses, red as my blood that he had spilt the night before.

"Hermione…What did he do to you!?" Ron demanded.

"I think I should be asking you that," Draco snarled, hugging me closer to him. "Get out of here before I have security called,"

"No, Hermione is my fiancée, and I won't have the likes of _you _touching her that way," Ron's temper had just run out with Draco, and I knew this better than anyone.

**_A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect._**

_**Every action in this world will bear a consequence,**_

**_If you wade around forever you,will surely drown,_**

_**I see what's going down**_

"What is that supposed to mean _'the likes of me'_ it's you who shouldn't be touching her," Draco was losing his cool as well.

This was why I never told him anything about Ron beating me. Because I knew it was the one thing that enraged him more than anything. His father had beaten his mother, and he had killed her from it. I felt new tears stinging my eyes; this was not what I wanted my life to turn into! I don't want my best friend fighting my fiancé; but I don't want my fiancé beating me when he's drunk either! I just want everyone to get along, and stop threatening each other for my sake!

Draco's P.O.V.

I knew this wasn't the right way to resolve this. The way it needed to be done was to call security, have Ron taken out of the building, then I would apparate Hermione to my house, and then she would be considerably safe their until I could build a descent case against the wife-beater.

Of course, I still needed Hermione to consent to my for lack of a better phrase, kidnapping her, and pressing charges against Ron. I just hoped that I would finally be getting through to her by doing this. I wasn't about to lose another woman that I loved to death by beating of someone who swore he loved her more than anything in the world.

I quickly picked up the phone and buzzed the lobby desk, where Jack one of our trusted security guards was stationed. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Weasley spat at me.

"I warned you, and now I'm calling security to have you removed." I said calmly "Hermione, go to Estelle's office until I come for you," I whispered in her ear as she nodded and headed out of the office through the back door.

"Hello?" Jack finally answered after three rings.

"Hey Jack, its Draco Malfoy,"

"Hey Mr. Malfoy, what can I do you for?" Jack asked happy to help me with anything I asked him too.

"I have a problem, Miss Granger's fiancé needs to leave, and he refuses to remove himself from the building, so I'm requesting that you and Bill escort him back to his vehicle. Is that going to be a problem?" I explained knowing Jack would be all too happy to get rid of Weasley.

"Not a problem at all sir, we'll be up in a second." I hung up the phone and I could see Weasley's face turning as bright red as his hair. Normally I would have made some snide remark about it, but I didn't want to push my luck. I hadn't been in a fight that wasn't a legal battle in front of a judge since the war ended.

"I'm going to beat you to a bloody pulp Malfoy…" Weasley threatened.

"Like you do to Hermione? I don't think so. Last night was the last time you'll lay your hands on her, and I'm going to make sure of it," I snapped, turning my back on him for a second. That was a big mistake.

**_I see the way you go and say you're right again,_**

**_Say you're right again,_**

_**Heed my lecture**_

Hermione's P.O.V.

I watched the confrontation from the window in Estelle's office. Draco was being the bigger man, and calling security, like he should have done, but I knew better of Ron. I knew that as soon as he had the chance he was going to go after Draco. I just hoped he could use his wits to keep Ron talking to him long enough for Jack and Bill to get to the office before Ron tried to pull a fast one on Draco.

Then it happened, Draco turned his back for a second, and Ron tackled him to the ground, and was throwing punch after punch after punch at Draco's face, trying to inflict as much damage as possible. I think I screamed, but I'm not quite sure. All I really remember was running out there to try to stop Ron when he turned and saw me.

"You," he screamed, "This is all your fault! I thought I told you to keep you fucking mouth shut to that ass wipe about our personal life!"

I stopped dead in my tracks when he yelled at me like that. I just stared at him, and Estelle, poor, innocent, Estelle was at a loss about what to do in the situation. So she grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me back into her office, but my feet were rooted to the ground, I couldn't move. All I could do was stare into Ron's enraged green eyes. "I…I…I'm sorry…I didn't mean too, he saw us last night after I came home…" I stuttered, I was terrified for my life, as all of my colleges began to come out of their offices with their clients after hearing the commotion Ron had started.

"I told you he wasn't to be trusted with anything that had to do with us!" Ron bellowed, and I felt my knees go weak as I fell to the ground. Ron was standing in front of me now, and he began to hit me, over and over and over, and once I was on the ground, he even went as far as to kick me a couple times. I know after that, the world around me became a haze of confusion. I couldn't focus on anything visually.

_**Do you feel like a man when you push her around? **_

_**Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?**_

_**Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world gonna end.**_

_**As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.**_

I could hear that Bill and Jack had arrived, and I know that Estelle had called the police when she saw Ron taking his rage out on Draco. After that, everything went black, and the next time I opened my eyes, I was lying in a bed at St. Mungo's. Harry and Ginny were right there by my side, and to my surprise Draco was with them as well. I couldn't believe that Harry and Ginny were actually in the same room with him without me having to play referee. However, nobody's perfect, and they began arguing about what really happened.

Draco's P.O.V.

When Hermione finally woke up, I felt as if a million pounds had just lifted itself off of my shoulders. I had taken it upon myself to inform the Potter's (Ginny being married to Harry two years ago now.) of what had taken place in the Firm that faithful day that Hermione nearly lost her life to Ronald Weasley.

King Potter didn't want to believe that his loyal friend and worshiper could ever do something so sinister to the woman he 'loved' so much. "Fine, don't believe me, but I would not lie about what happened to my closest friend, or who hurt her," I pouted in the corner until I saw Hermione's eyes flutter open.

I was right there by her side as soon as she was fully aware of where she was and who was there with her. "So, you decided to come back to us did you?" I asked as I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I had to keep reminding myself that Malfoy's do not cry no matter what the circumstances may be.

"Why wouldn't I have come back to you?" she chuckled. Leave it to Hermione to come back after nearly dying and then laugh about it. Of course I was sure that she had no idea how dire her situation had been when she was brought here.

"Hermione, please inform this _ignorant lawyer_ that Ron would never hurt you the way that Malfoy claims he did." Potter insisted as soon as Hermione was able to properly sit up in her hospital bed.

Hermione looked down, she could bare to face the Potters on this matter, she didn't want to break their hearts, or there rose colored glasses on the matter, but I saw her bite her bottom lip and look up at Potter with tears rolling down her cheeks. She sighed before she finally spoke.

"Draco's right Harry. Ron did this to me, and he pulverized Draco as well. I can't tell you how many times I've been hit by Ron, but to give you an idea, he's done it every Friday night that the team is in town, and sometimes a few times during the week when you guys are home. And this is the first time I've even admitted that he was doing anything wrong…" she sobbed hysterically. I hated seeing her cry like that, especially since neither Potter was making a move to try to comfort her. They just stood there as if they were numbed by what she had to say.

**_Face down in the dirt; she said this doesn't hurt,_**

_**She said I've finally had enough.**_

**_Face down in the dirt; she said this doesn't hurt,_**

_**She said I've finally had enough.**_

"How is this possible? Ron would never hurt anyone, especially not you Hermione…" Potter protested as if he thought that Hermione was lying to him about it all to cover for me. How bloody stupid can he get?

"When he first started doing it he was really drunk and would forget that he even hit me the next morning. Then when he started to go out every Friday, I started to get tired of being home by myself, so Draco and I would go have dinner at the Leaky Cauldron and discuss new cases, mostly work stuff, half the time when he would beat me then I couldn't tell if he was drunk or sober, and he stopped talking to me in the mornings, like he thought that what ever I did, I must have deserved it…" That was it, I couldn't stand to hear any more of it, and my blood was beyond boiling point.

"It's okay Hermione; you don't have to explain any more to them. If they don't believe you they aren't true friends," I told her, as I wrapped my arms around her and tried to sooth her.

"What's that supposed to mean Ferret?" Potter glared at me with his eyes narrowed at me.

"Harry, stop this right now!" The wife scolded, "I believe Hermione, Ron does get violent when he's drunk, and more so now when he's not drunk, since he started playing professional Quidditch. Haven't you noticed how close he's come to being suspended for starting fights lately?"

Hermione's P.O.V.

I wasn't quite sure why Harry didn't believe me about Ron. I never lied to him about anything. Ron was the one that liked to keep secrets from him, like in fifth year he got Cho Chang to have sex with him in the prefect's bathroom the same week end that she went to Hogs Meade with Harry! But that was years ago, and who knew what else he could possibly be lying about now. I didn't want to think about how many women he had during our relationship's rough patches and rows.

"No, I need to finish telling Harry what Ron's deal with me is! I know you don't like to hear about it, I know that it makes you angry Draco, but you've been a man about it, and you haven't taken matters into your own hands with the situation, and I respect you more for that!" I insisted. I was finally ready for them to hear the rest of my side of the story, god only knows what Ronald has told them! "Where was I…oh yes, Ron was mad that I was out and not at home waiting for him on Friday night, so he went looking for me at the Leaky Cauldron and was convinced that Draco and I were there on a date. Harry, when I got home, he broke my nose, and fractured my cheek, and left me there on the floor to bleed! He didn't even bother to carry me to the bedroom or see if I was okay! I had to crawl to bed at two in the morning, and then he came to my work with flowers, and tried to blame my injuries on Draco!" I was so angry, I was nearly shouting. "That was when I decided that I've had enough of him!"

_**One Day she will tell you that she has had enough,**_

**_It's coming round again!_**

As I said those words, I felt as if I had freed myself from a tower that I had been locked in for years. I knew that the long hard battle was yet to come, but I was finally free of my ball and chain, and I could finally live my life with out worrying about what was going to happen to me when Ronald got home. It was an invigorating feeling!

I didn't get out of the hospital for another few days, but I was alright with that. I needed time to recover and Draco knew me enough to bring me minor files that had been backing up at the office to work on with all the free time that I had on my hands.

The day finally came when I was released from the hospital, and Draco was there to take me home. "I've been doing some thinking, long and hard thinking about you and I Hermione," he said to me as he helped me into his car.

"Yes," I acknowledged that I was finally ready to discuss the subject of our advancing relationship.

"I want you to come live with me for a while…maybe forever…but I want you to be somewhere safe while Ron's trial is going on, and I don't want you to have to hide if he makes bail at his arraignment tomorrow." He explained. I was still stuck on the 'Maybe forever' part of his sentence.

Draco's P.O.V.

Damned, it was too soon, I shouldn't have said anything about forever that soon. Mostly it was still hard for me to believe that I had let that part slip, but I let it roll off as if I never said it…or I tried to anyway. I held my breath as I waited for her to give me her final answer. I started the car, and we were a good block away from St. Mungo's when I finally remembered to breathe again.

"I think that I would like it if we lived together…maybe forever…I mean, if it suites us well enough I suppose," she smiled secretively at me as she said this.

The next day we were both present at Weasley's arraignment, and watched in horror as he pleaded 'Not guilty' to the charges of aggravated assault, and attempted murder, for the severity of the beating he gave to Hermione.

It was almost as if the bloody idiot didn't think he didn't do anything wrong, or that no one saw what he did, when there was a whole firm of lawyers there as well as two security guards. I was just happy that it wasn't me that was prosecuting him. The man who was going to be the prosecutor was in fact a very close friend of my boss, and Hermione and I had worked with him on quite a few cases.

So I knew that the trial would be conducted in an orderly manner, and every one that was present would be called as a witness. When the trial finally started, it took three weeks just to get to Hermione on the witness list. She was brilliant on the stand, completely composed, beautiful, and elegant. Just as if she was the one that was doing the prosecuting, Weasley didn't stand a chance with his second-rate defense attorney.

Finally it was my turn. "On Friday, September twenty fifth, I walked Miss Granger back to her house that she shared with the defendant, and as she shut the door, I walked around to the side window that has no drapes to make sure that she had gotten inside the house with out incident. That was when I heard her crying, and I looked to see the defendant hitting her. I didn't go into the residence because I felt that the most effective way to get Miss Granger out of that house alive would be to talk to her the next morning." I began, as I kept my eye contact with Weasley while I told the truth on the stand.

_**Do you feel like a man when you push her around?**_

_**Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?**_

_**Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world gonna end.**_

_**As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.**_

"Which, I did, I confronted her about the situation the next morning, and as we were trying to devise a way for her to get out of the house the defendant came to our office bearing flowers for Miss Granger, and then insisted that it was I who had injured her. I told him that he needed to leave the premises or I would be forced to call security, which once again, I did. I sent Miss Granger to a different office so she would not be in harm's way, and as I turned my back, the defendant attacked me."

Hermione's P.O.V.

I wasn't sure how this trial was going to end, but knowing that there were too many Lawyers as witnesses, it wasn't going to be good for Ron, and I found myself actually feeling sorry for him as Draco and I left he courthouse that evening, after the day's proceedings.

Weeks had now passed, since Draco had finished testifying, and I knew as well as he did, that our living situation was about to become permanent. I didn't know it then, but Draco had been planning to ask me to marry him the day that we found out what Ron's sentence would be.

I had loved Ron before, but I was discovering that I had never truly been in love with him. Not like I was in love with Draco. They were two completely different feelings, for two completely different people.

I was in deep thought about how much I loved Draco that night as he and I laid in bed together. I could hardly sleep, mostly because I was anxiously awaiting the dawn, so that we could prepare ourselves for our last trip to the courthouse for Ron's trial. As the light crept into our bedroom through the pale white lace curtains, (I know, very Dracoish don't you think?) I was already in the shower; I had been just standing in there for nearly twenty minutes before I heard the alarm clock go off. I couldn't clear my mind of thoughts of the trial and the past couple months.

I finally got my head out of the past and finished my shower, and I found Draco leaning in the bathroom door frame as I wrapped my soaking wet body in a towel. He looked slightly worried, but I knew he would never say anything about it. He hated putting doubt about anything into my mind. I smiled weakly at him as he just watched me in silence; I walked right past him, and straight into our closet dressing myself in my nicest suit that I owned. To which there are quite a few, but not nearly as nice as the black pinstriped one I chose. "You should probably hurry if you plan on showering," I called to Draco, "I want to get there as early as possible, so I don't have to face any of those idiot reporters from the Daily Prophet."

"As if I would let the maniac woman Skeeter harass you about this!" Draco remarked rather shortly.

"Well, even so, I want to miss the rush of it all if that's alright with you?" I announced as I exited the closet fully dressed. "I shall see you at breakfast love," I kissed his cheek lightly and went down the dining room.

I don't know why, but as I read the events and articles in the Daily prophet about the whole ordeal with Ron it hit me like a ton of bricks… What would have happened to me if Draco hadn't said anything to me that day? Would I even still be alive? Would I have found the strength to leave Ron? I felt my eyes well up with tears, and I just found myself crying my eyes out, because Draco loved me enough to tell Ron off and he saved my life…

Draco's P.O.V.

I found Hermione crying in the dining room over the morning paper, this was not exactly what I had expected to see when I joined her for Breakfast. "Darling, Hermione, what ever is the matter?" I asked softly as I held her close to me.

She was silent for a moment or two, "Draco, you saved my life…" She sobbed in to me, "I would be dead if you hadn't loved me as much as you do."

"Oh love, listen to me know. It's over after today, we will never have to discuss it, never have to look back on it if you don't want to." I told her, as I kissed her tears away.

Two hours later we were waiting for the verdict, sitting front row behind the prosecutors. I was nervous as hell, even though I knew we had a solid, near unbeatable case.

The judge asked for the Court Clerk to read the verdict back "In the mater of the people vs. Ronald Weasley, how does the jury find? We the people of the jury find Ronald Weasley guilty of the charges of assault and attempted murder in the second degree."

**_Do you feel like a man when you push her around?_**

_**Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?**_

_**Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world gonna end.**_

_**As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.**_

Every one let out a large sigh of relief on our side of the court room. The defense team was speechless; Weasley however, had much to say on the matter. "What, how can this be? I've been framed I tell you!" He shouted, "I'd never do anything to hurt Hermione! I love her!" He was screaming bloody murder as the court bailiffs escorted him back to his cell.

As soon as the Verdict had been read back, Hermione nearly tackled me, tears of joy streaming down her face as she kissed me intensely and passionately, as if she was never going to get to kiss me again. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but it was a little surprising, and I knew that tonight we would go out and celebrate. '_It's got to be now or never Mate, you have to ask her to marry you tonight, or you'll never get the courage up to do it,_' I thought to myself.

Hermione's P.O.V.

That evening, Draco took me out to dinner at a very nice Spanish restaurant for dinner to celebrate. I was sure that I couldn't possibly be any happier at that moment. "It's so good to see a smile on your beautiful face once again Love," He commented to me as we sat sipping our wine that night.

"Well, if it hadn't been for you, this face might not have smiled ever again." I remarked with a slight laugh and a beaming grin from ear to ear plastered on my face. "I for one never thought that this day would come. I was afraid for a very long time that nothing good would ever come of this, and look what had happened. I was wrong. And for once I'm very glad I was wrong."

"Well, as I've stated before, we will never have to worry about that happening again. But I do have something rather important that I wasn't to discuss with you, but I think that we should have a dance first. It's been a long time since we've taken the time to dance together." Draco decided as I took the hand that he offered to me and he swept me across the dance floor in one fluid motion.

"When have we ever danced since Hogwarts?" I questioned as he held me close to him. I breathed in his cologne and I was in heaven.

"That's my point exactly. It's been years since we've danced together." He smiled down at me. He stopped dance suddenly and fell to his knees in front of me.

"Draco, what on earth are you doing down there?" I asked, looking at him strangely, I never in my wildest dreams at that moment thought that he would propose to me.

"Hermione, I love you with all my heart and soul, and I would never ever do anything to hurt you, and you know that I wouldn't…" He paused; his breathing was becoming very erratic.

"Yes, of course I know that and I love you too." I said laughing slightly.

"Hermione Jane Granger, will you Marry me?" He finally asked presenting me with the biggest blood diamond I've ever seen mounted on a ring.

I was speechless for a moment, before I breathed "yes, or course I will…"

_**Face down in the dirt; she said this doesn't hurt,**_

_**She said I've finally had enough.**_

_**Face down in the dirt; she said this doesn't hurt,**_

_**She said I've finally had enough.**_


End file.
